Week 6 Readings - More MIDI

There is no doubt that the use of MIDI files have provided music teachers with not only highly valuable teaching tools for their own personal ease and benefit, but have facilitated student growth in such fields as analysis, creativity, theory, and even act as practice aids. MIDI files have, in general, increased the opportunity to use quality computer-developed musical accompaniments in teaching music to children. Furthur, MIDI files as accompaniments can be especially helpful for students when working on solo repertoire during practice or if accompanists are not readily available. Additionally, many instrumental methods books used in schools incorporate MIDI files to practice with that students can use on their own time outside of the classroom.

MIDI accompaniment files are also extremely easy to aquire, many can be found for free online to download, or can be inportedwith a music notation software program, such as Finale or Sibelius. Once imported into one of these programs, they can also be quickly and easily altered or transposed to fit the needs of the performer or ensemble.

Moreover, while many feel like MIDI sequencing could never replace the musicality of real musicians playing real instruments, with a bit of effort, one can make sequences sound much like a real ensemble. Interestingly enough, MIDI sequencing does not include audio. Rather, a the sequence records which notes you have played, when you played them, including the tempo and rhythm, how quickly each note was played, and when the note was released. If you are a decent player, you can easiliy record live performances into the sequencer. You do not even need to be a proficient keyboard player. Instead, guitar, percussion, violin, wind, and other MIDI controllers can be used to enter sequences into the computer. Though the technology is definitely not perfect, it has come quite a ways in the last few years and is often highly impressive and realistic. And, as most modern sequencers can record audio, as well as MIDI, you can record sound with them much just as you would with a tape recorder, but with a much greater amount of editing options. Moreover, to get better-sounding music from your sequences, play them back using high quality sounds, such as those found on more sophisticated hardware and software synthesizers It is usually much easier to synthesize percussion, keyboard, and electronic instruments, while wind instruments are the most difficult to synthesize.

Why is this useful/relevant? Again, many educators create sequencing files for accompaniments for use with their students in class, rehearsals, and performances, allowing students to have a personal accompanist at their disposal anytime, resulting in better performers which can better contribute to our ensembles and their education and experiences holistically.

For further information on MIDI files and information, check out MIDI Search Engine, MIDI.com, Standard MIDI files on the Net, MIDI world, and Harmony Central.